Holder for implements

ABSTRACT

A holder includes a housing having two passages having inclined passage segments which include a lower portion located closer to each other, and an upper portion located and spaced farther away from each other, two arms each has a shaft rotatably received in the housing and movable and rotatable along the inclined passage segments of the housing and rotatable between an upwardly folding position and an outwardly working position, and the arms may be guided and forced to move toward each other when moving along the inclined passage segments of the housing for stably grasping and holding a tool between the arms.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a tool retainer or holder, and moreparticularly to a holder including a foldable structure for stablyholding and supporting and retaining tools or implements in place.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical tool holders comprise a number pairs of plates disposed betweenresilient blocks which may apply a resilient or spring biasing forceagainst the pairs of plates to clamp and retain various tools orimplements between the pairs of plates.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,591,805 to Gossett discloses one of thetypical holders for implements comprising a number of resilient blocksfor biasing or forcing-pairs of plates to clamp and retain various toolsor implements. However, the resilient blocks may be hardened after agingand thus may not suitably bias or force the pairs of plates to clamp andretain various tools or implements between the pairs of plates.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,707,052 to Brown discloses another typical holder orrack comprising a number of spring clips each having a pair of curvedarms for resiliently clamping and retaining various tools or implementsbetween the curved arms of the spring clips.

However, the resilient curved arms of the spring clips are required tobe formed into specifically designed shapes or configurations and to beformed into straight portions, rounded corner or angle portions, and jawportions, and may be deformed after use and thus may no longer be usedto suitably clamp and retain various tools or implements between thecurved arms of the spring clips.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,285 to Bisping et al. discloses a further typicalcable clip device comprising a number of clips slidably attached to aC-shaped sectional bar or support member, and each having a pair ofcurved clamping jaws for resiliently clamping and retaining varioustools or implements between the clamping jaws of the clips. However, theresilient clamping jaws of the clips may also be deformed after use andthus may no longer be used to suitably clamp and retain various tools orimplements between the clamping jaws of the clips.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional holders for tools orimplements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a holderincluding a foldable structure for stably holding and supporting andretaining tools or implements in place.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided aholder comprising a housing including two passages formed therein andeach having an inclined passage segment, the inclined passage segmentsof the housing including a lower portion located closer to each other,and an upper portion located and spaced farther away from each other,and two arms each including a shaft rotatably received in the housingand movable and rotatable along the inclined passage segments of thehousing respectively, and rotatable relative to the housing between anupwardly folding position and an outwardly working position, and thearms may be guided and forced to move toward each other when the armsare moved downwardly along the inclined passage segments of the housingand from the farther upper portion toward the closer lower portion ofthe inclined passage segments of the housing respectively, for graspingand holding a tool between the arms.

The housing includes two lateral passage segments formed therein forrotatably receiving the shafts of the arms respectively. The housingincludes at least one projection extended into each of the lateralpassage segments of the housing for frictionally engaging with theshafts.

The arms each include a rounded portion for engaging with the tool. Thearms each include an outwardly extended and opened jaw portion forallowing the tool to be engaged into and grasped by the arms. The armseach include a soft outer covering engaged on an outer peripheralportion for softly engaging with the tool.

An auxiliary holding member may further be provided and rotatablyattached to the housing for selectively holding and supporting the tool.The auxiliary holding member includes a bar having two lateralpassageways formed therein for slidably receiving the arms respectively.

The auxiliary holding member includes a lever extended from the bar androtatably attached to the housing. The housing includes a slit formedtherein for slidably receiving the lever of the auxiliary holdingmember. The auxiliary holding member includes an axle extended from thelever for rotatably attaching to the housing.

The housing includes a base plate attached thereto for rotatablyretaining the arms to the housing. The base plate includes a swellinghaving two recesses formed therein for rotatably engaging with andsupporting the arms. A rail may further be provided and includes achannel formed therein for slidably receiving the base plate.

The housing includes at least one hole formed therein, and the baseplate includes at least one pin extended from the swelling and engagedinto the hole of the housing for anchoring the housing to the baseplate. The housing includes a chamber formed therein and defined by anouter peripheral wall for receiving the swelling of the base plate.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a holder in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the holder;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an inner structure of ahousing of the holder;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the holder, taken along lines 4-4 ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the holder, taken along lines 5-5 ofFIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan schematic view illustrating the operation of theholder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 4, a holder 1 inaccordance with the present invention comprises a track or rail 10including longitudinal channel 11 formed therein and defined by a rearpanel 12, an upper panel 13, a lower panel 14, and one or more flanges15 extended from the free end portions of the upper panel 13 and thelower panel 14 respectively, for slidably receiving and supporting oneor more supporting members 2 (FIG. 1). For example, each of thesupporting members 2 includes a base plate 20 slidably engaged into andmovable along the longitudinal channel 11 of the rail 10.

A swelling 21 is extended forwardly from the base plate 20 and includestwo substantially L-shaped recesses 22 formed therein and arranged in amirror symmetric status, a slot 24 also formed in the swelling 21 andlocated between the recesses 22, and the slot 24 of the swelling 21includes a lower portion 25 communicating with the recesses 22 of theswelling 21. One or more pins 26 are extended forwardly from theswelling 21. It is preferable that the recesses 22 of the swelling 21each include a substantially horizontal or lateral recess segment 23 anda substantially vertical or inclined recess segment 28 (FIG. 2).

A housing 30 is to be engaged onto the base plate 20 and to be securedonto the base plate 20 with such as fasteners 80, and includes a chamber31 formed therein and defined by an outer peripheral wall 32 which willbe engaged onto the base plate 20, and arranged to receive the swelling21 of the base plate 20 within the chamber 31 of the housing 30. Thehousing 30 also includes a bulge 33 extended into the chamber 31 thereoffor mating or engaging with the swelling 21 of the base plate 20, andincludes one or more holes 34 formed in the bulge 33 (FIG. 3) forreceiving the pins 26 and for anchoring or positioning the housing 30 tothe base plate 20 and for preventing the housing 30 from being moved upand down and sidewise relative to the base plate 20.

The housing 30 also includes two substantially L-shaped passages 35formed therein and arranged in a mirror symmetric status, and alignedwith the recesses 22 of the swelling 21 of the base plate 20, and a slit36 also formed in the bulge 33 and located between the passages 35, andthe slit 36 of the bulge 33 includes a lower portion 37 communicatingwith the passages 35 of the bulge 33 (FIG. 3). It is also preferablethat the passages 35 of the bulge 33 each also include a substantiallyhorizontal or lateral passage segment 38 and a substantially vertical orinclined passage segment 39 (FIG. 3) for aligning with the horizontal orlateral recess segment 23 and the vertical or inclined recess segment 28of the recesses 22 of the swelling 21 of the base plate 20 respectively.The slit 36 and the vertical or inclined passage segments 39 of thehousing 30 are formed forwardly through the housing 30.

A pair of arms 50 each include an angled base portion 51 received in thepassages 35 of the bulge 33 of the housing 30 and/or in the recesses 22of the swelling 21 of the base plate 20 respectively, and having asubstantially horizontal or lateral shaft 52 rotatably received in thehorizontal or lateral passage segment 38 of the housing 30 and/or in thehorizontal or lateral recess segment 23 of the swelling 21 of the baseplate 20 respectively for allowing the arms 50 to be rotated relative tothe housing 30 and/or the base plate 20 between an upwardly folding orreceiving position as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4, and an outwardlyand substantially horizontal working position as shown in solid lines inFIGS. 1, 4, and 6, in which the arms 50 are movable along the verticalor inclined passage segments 39 of the housing 30 respectively as shownwith arrows in FIG. 5.

It is preferable that the arms 50 each further include an angled orrounded portion 53 and an outwardly extended or opened jaw portion 54for suitably engaging with or gripping or grasping various tools orimplements 81, 83 therein (FIGS. 1, 6), and a soft or resilient outercovering 55 attached or engaged or molded on the outer peripheralportion of both the angled or rounded portion 53 and the jaw portion 54of the arms 50 respectively for softly engaging with the tools orimplements 81, 83 and for preventing the tools or implements 81, 83 frombeing scratched or damaged by the arms 50. The outwardly extended oropened jaw portions 54 of the arms 50 allow the tools or implements 81,83 to be suitably engaged into and grasped by the arms 50.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the vertical or inclined passagesegments 39 of the housing 30 include a lower portion 40 located closerto each other, and an upper portion 41 located distal to each other orspaced farther away from each other for guiding the angled or roundedportion 53 and the jaw portion 54 of the arms 50 to move toward eachother when the arms 50 are moved downwardly along the vertical orinclined passage segments 39 of the housing 30 respectively, and thusfor allowing the angled or rounded portion 53 and the jaw portion 54 ofthe arms 50 to suitably grip or grasp and hold the tools or implements81, 83 between the arms 50.

It is further preferable that the housing 30 may include one or moreprojections 88 (FIG. 3) extended into the horizontal or lateral passagesegment 38 of the housing 30 for frictionally engaging with the lateralshaft 52 or the angled base portion 51 of the arms 50 respectively andfor stably retaining the arms 50 to the housing 30 and the base plate20, for example, for stably retaining the arms 50 to the housing 30 andthe base plate 20 at the upwardly folding or receiving position as shownin dotted lines in FIG. 4, and for preventing the arms 50 from moving orrotating forwardly and downwardly relative to the housing 30 and/or thebase plate 20 from the upwardly folding or receiving position to thehorizontal working position as shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 6.

An auxiliary holding member 60 may further be provided and includes alever 61 for movably or rotatably engaging in the slit 36 of the bulge33 of the housing 30 and/or the slot 24 of the swelling 21 of the baseplate 20, and also for allowing the auxiliary holding member 60 to berotated relative to the housing 30 and/or the base plate 20 between anupwardly folding or receiving position as shown in dotted lines in FIG.4, and an outwardly and substantially horizontal working position asshown in solid lines in FIGS. 1, 4, and 6, in which the lever 61 of theauxiliary holding member 60 is also movable outwardly or downwardlyalong the slit 36 of the bulge 33 of the housing 30.

For example, the auxiliary holding member 60 includes an axle 62extended from the lever 61 and rotatably engaged in the adjacentportions of the horizontal or lateral passage segment 38 of the housing30 and/or of the horizontal or lateral recess segment 23 of the swelling21 of the base plate 20 respectively for allowing the auxiliary holdingmember 60 to be suitably rotated relative to the housing 30 and/or thebase plate 20 with the axle 62. The auxiliary holding member 60 furtherincludes a bar 63 attached to or extended from the front or free endportion of the lever 61 and preferably perpendicular to the lever 61 andhaving a pair of outwardly opened and lateral passageways 64 formedtherein for slidably receiving the arms 50 respectively and for furtherstably supporting the arms 50 at the horizontal working position asshown in FIGS. 1, and 4-6.

It is to be noted that the arms 50, particularly the angled or roundedportions 53 and/or the jaw portions 54 of the arms 50 may be suitablyspaced farther away from each other by the upwardly and outwardlyinclined vertical or inclined passage segments 39 of the housing 30 whenthe arms 50 are rotated upwardly relative to the housing 30 and/or thebase plate 20 to the upwardly folding or receiving position as shown indotted lines in FIG. 4, and thus for allowing the tools or implements81, 83 to be engaged into or between the angled or rounded portions 53and/or the jaw portions 54 of the arms 50.

When the arms 50 are rotated downwardly relative to the housing 30and/or the base plate 20 from the upwardly folding or receiving positionto the horizontal working position as shown in FIGS. 1, and 4-6, theangled or rounded portion 53 and the jaw portion 54 of the arms 50 maybe guided and forced to move toward each other when the arms 50 aremoved downwardly along the vertical or inclined passage segments 39 ofthe housing 30 and from the farther upper portions 41 toward the closerlower portions 40 of the vertical or inclined passage segments 39 of thehousing 30 respectively, in order to suitably grip or grasp and hold thetools or implements 81, 83 between the arms 50.

The angled or rounded portion 53 and the jaw portion 54 of the arms 50may further be guided and forced to move toward each other by the weightof both the tools or implements 81, 83 and the arms 50 in order tosuitably grip or grasp and hold the tools or implements 81, 83 ofdifferent size or width or thickness best shown in FIG. 6. It is to benoted that the base plate 20 may be formed or molded integral with thehousing 30, or may be formed or acted as a retaining means for rotatablyretaining the arms 50 to the housing 30.

Accordingly, the holder in accordance with the present inventionincludes a foldable structure for stably holding and supporting andretaining tools or implements in place.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A holder comprising: a housing including two passages formed therein and each having an inclined passage segment, said inclined passage segments of said housing including a lower portion located closer to each other, and an upper portion located and spaced farther away from each other, and two arms each including a shaft rotatably received in said housing and movable and rotatable along said inclined passage segments of said housing respectively, and rotatable relative to said housing between an upwardly folding position and an outwardly working position, and said arms being guided and forced to move toward each other when said arms are moved downwardly along said inclined passage segments of said housing and from said farther upper portion toward said closer lower portion of said inclined passage segments of said housing respectively, for grasping and holding a tool between said arms.
 2. The holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes two lateral passage segments formed therein for rotatably receiving said shafts of said arms respectively.
 3. The holder as claimed in claim 2, wherein said housing includes at least one projection extended into each of said lateral passage segments of said housing for frictionally engaging with said shafts.
 4. The holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said arms each include a rounded portion for engaging with the tool.
 5. The holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said arms each include an outwardly extended and opened jaw portion for allowing the tool to be engaged into and grasped by said arms.
 6. The holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said arms each include a soft outer covering engaged on an outer peripheral portion for softly engaging with the tool.
 7. The holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein an auxiliary holding member is rotatably attached to said housing for selectively holding and supporting the tool.
 8. The holder as claimed in claim 7, wherein said auxiliary holding member includes a bar having two lateral passageways formed therein for slidably receiving said arms respectively.
 9. The holder as claimed in claim 8, wherein said auxiliary holding member includes a lever extended from said bar and rotatably attached to said housing.
 10. The holder as claimed in claim 9, wherein said housing includes a slit formed therein for slidably receiving said lever of said auxiliary holding member.
 11. The holder as claimed in claim 9, wherein said auxiliary holding member includes an axle extended from said lever for rotatably attaching to said housing.
 12. The holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes a base plate attached thereto for rotatably retaining said arms to said housing.
 13. The holder as claimed in claim 12, wherein said-base plate includes a swelling having two recesses formed therein for rotatably engaging with and supporting said arms.
 14. The holder as claimed in claim 13, wherein said housing includes at least one hole formed therein, and said base plate includes at least one pin extended from said swelling and engaged into said at least one hole of said housing for anchoring said housing to said base plate.
 15. The holder as claimed in claim 13, wherein said housing includes a chamber formed therein and defined by an outer peripheral wall for receiving said swelling of said base plate.
 16. The holder as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a rail having a channel formed therein for slidably receiving said base plate. 